“We’re late,” Kyle muttered, kicking off the sheet that was tangled around his legs. He sat up, rubbing at his eyes. He’d been on the verge of falling asleep, sated and content, but the ship’s bell had startled him awake. Five bells. They had less than an hour to row to the wharf, then walk the mile or so to the house. He scooped his trousers off the floor and stepped into them, nearly tripping himself. “Hal! We have to go!”
“We have time,” Hal said sleepily, eyes still closed. “Anyway, I’m the captain. I’m allowed to be late.”
“Tora and Kat aren’t part of your crew, Captain.” Kyle grinned. “They would be perfectly justified in stabbing you with a fork if dinner gets cold while waiting on us.”
Hal eyes popped open. “Oh. Right.” He rolled over, reaching over the side of the bed to pick up his clothing.
Kyle finished dressing, then went out to the main cabin to find his boots. Mona squeaked at him and reached a hand through the bars. “Would you like to go for a walk?” he asked her.
“We are not taking the monkey,” Hal said behind him.
“I can’t leave her here. And I doubt anyone will want to watch her for me.”
“I’ll just order—”
“No, Hal.” The last thing Kyle wanted was for his pet to make the crew resentful. “I’ll just take her with us. She’ll be fine.”
“Tora and Kat are going to kick the monkey and you out of the house.”
“I’ll leave her on the porch if she’s trouble,” Kyle said.
Hal looked skeptical, but he didn’t say any more.
They rowed to the wharf and climbed out onto the dock. Hal carried the gifts while Kyle carried Mona in her cage. The old man with the violin had moved down by the docks and Kyle couldn’t help the spring in his step as they made their way through the town. He enjoyed visiting Guy’s and John’s families — Tora and Kat were always trying to feed him and the kids loved that ‘Uncle Kyle’ joined in their games.
The moon was already peeking through a hole in the trees by the time they reached the small village that was made up mostly of the families of pirates, along with a few retired pirates. They looked out for each other here, so a man would not have to worry too much about his family while he was at sea.
“You’re late,” Guy scolded as they walked through the front door of the large house that the Gardner and Stewart families shared. “What did you do, stop for a fuck?”
Kyle felt the blush creep up over his face at Guy’s knowing smirk.
“That’s not really your business,” Hal said, smiling at his first mate.
“Ha! Knew it.” Guy closed the door behind them and flipped the lock. He clapped Hal on the shoulder. “I swear, if Kyle was a girl you’d end up with more kids than me!”
As if on cue, there was a sudden pattering of bare feet on wood and then a sea of small girls — four of Guy’s daughters plus John’s Rose — crashed into them. “Captain Hal! Uncle Kyle!”
They clamored for hugs, then noticed the cage in Kyle’s hand. “You have a monkey!” Anna squealed.
“A monkey?” Guy wrinkled his nose, then looked at Hal. “That’s not for the kids, is it?”
Hal shook his head. “No. It’s Kyle’s. It pulled his own trick on him and was making sad eyes at him at a shop on the wharf.”
“You let him have a monkey?” Guy snickered. “You have gone soft, Jordan.”
They went into the parlor, Kyle surrounded by the girls wanting to see Mona. He set the cage in the middle of the floor and the girls gathered around it, kneeling down to fawn over Mona. “Her name is Mona,” he told them.
“Don’t stick your fingers in there, that thing will bite them off!” Guy scolded. The girls pulled their hands back, but otherwise didn’t budge from cooing over the monkey, who was staring wide-eyed at the her audience. Guy shook his head and looked at Kyle. “If they start pestering me for one, I’m blaming you.”
“I thought I heard a commotion out here,” a cheery voice said. Tora came through the door from the kitchen, baby Kristen on her hip. She was followed by Kat and Soranik. “Why didn’t you tell us they were here, Guy?”
“They just got here!” Guy said. He pointed at the gathering on the floor. “And the girls got distracted by Kyle’s monkey.”
Kyle hadn’t really known what to expect when his friends’ wives saw his new pet. He was all prepared to apologize and offer to leave Mona on the porch. He didn’t at all expect that there would be a delighted squeal much like from the girls.
“Oh, it’s so cute!” Kat leaned over to touch the small hand coming through the bars. She looked over her shoulder at her cousin. “Remember the monkey we had when we were girls, Soranik?”
Soranik made a sound of disgust. “How could I forget? It tried to bite me at least once a day.”
“Oh, it was just playing,” Kat said with a dismissive wave of her hand. She looked up at Kyle. “Can we take it out?”
Kyle flashed Hal a triumphant smile and bent over to unlock the cage. Mona scampered out right into Kat’s arms.
Kat patted Mona’s head. “Let’s go get it a cookie,” she said to the girls. The group of them trooped into the kitchen.
“It won’t bite, will it?” Tora asked, giving a nervous glance toward the kitchen.
“Kat’s monkey never bit her,” Soranik said. “Only me. And everyone else. I think she has a way with them.”
Tora nodded, seemingly satisfied with the answer, then turned and put Kristen into her father’s arms. “Welcome!” she said, smiling at her guests with crystal-blue eyes. She stepped forward to hug Hal, then Kyle.
“I brought a gift for you and Kat,” Hal said. He pulled the bottles of wine from the bag of gifts.
“Thank you, Captain,” Tora said with a little bow of her head.
“Some of the good stuff?” Guy asked with a twinkle in his eyes. “That’s why you’ll always be safe from a mutiny, Hal. No other captain gives gifts like that.”
“Guy! You shouldn’t make comments on gifts,” Tora scolded. She tucked the bottles under one arm and took Kristen in the other, then headed back into the kitchen.
“What’s this?” Soranik asked. She reached out and tugged at the pendant around Kyle’s neck. It must have slipped out of his shirt when he was opening Mona’s cage. Soranik rubbed her thumb over the engraved letters. “A love token?” She looked at Hal and grinned. “Very romantic, Captain.”
Guy shook his head and gave an exaggerated sigh. “He is going soft.”
Soranik fixed Guy with a glare. “There’s nothing wrong with romance. I’m sure Tora would appreciate it every once in a while.”
“Oh? And what would you know about romance?” Guy asked. “You’re not exactly inviting any from anyone.”
“Except Kilowog,” Kyle said. They all looked at him. Kyle cringed. He hadn’t meant to say that out loud.
“How do you know that?” Soranik gasped.
“I saw you walking with him on the wharf two nights ago.”
“Why didn’t I see that?” Hal asked, looking a bit bewildered.
Guy laughed. “Oh, so you do know something about romance.” He grinned at Soranik. “Does your cousin know?”
“No! Don’t tell her!” But Guy was already on his way to the kitchen. Soranik sighed and smacked her hand to her forehead. “I am never going to get any peace now.”